In the digital world, our technology is an extension of ourselves. Our personalities, friendships and much more are on the internet and in the cloud, especially for small businesses. In many cases, the small business owner blurs the lines between personal and professional, using social media to reach potential clients as well as existing customers.
Although most of us are comfortable with certain information being public, we usually don’t reveal private information — and we’d like to keep it that way. But the House of Representatives recently voted to repeal internet privacy protections put in place by the Federal Communications Commissioner under the Obama Administration. The Trump administration, which has signaled its support in the past, signed the bill, effective April 3.
No matter your comfort level with technology, a virtual private network (VPN) mitigates the chance of your data being breached. For security concerns, everyone who uses the internet — from private citizens to businesses of any size — should add a VPN to keep private information private. In the age of “bring your own devices” when confidential business data may be accessed from a personal computer or a company-owned device, it’s important to keep cyber security top of mind.
What does a VPN do?
A VPN creates a secure connection over the internet between your computer, smartphone or tablet and whatever you’re browsing or the app you’re using.
How does this work? Imagine that driving on the road is like using the internet. Your internet service provider (ISP) is driving behind you, aware of every location you visit. They’re able to do this because of your IP address — it reveals and identifies your online connection.
A VPN allows you to enter an encrypted “tunnel” that redirects your IP address with the VPN server — making it seem as though you’re far away from where you actually are. Now your ISP can’t find you, and you can drive with the peace of mind of knowing you’re not being tracked.
VPNs are essential when using public WiFi at hotels, coffee shops or airports as those locations are particularly prone to hacking.
Many VPN subscriptions offer their own app or an extension on your internet browser. Once the extension is running or the app is launched, simply use the internet as you normally would.
Large organizations generally have enterprise-wide VPNs, but thre are many options for smaller businesses as well. If you operate a small office/home office business, you’ll be expecially happy to know that there are inexpensive, reliable choices to keep your client data secure — and improve your risk profile for obtaining Cyber insurance coverage. Keep reading to see the top five VPN subscriptions for under $10 a month according to top10vpn.com.
Source: Property Casualty 360
